Re: comments posted above what about the menu slowness (one person reported freezing forced to reboot) switching between 2D and 3D that many people have reported? I don't see it mentioned in Art's comments re: him mentioning it to BenQ (and thus no comment if fixed in January firmware update). Also from Art's preview: Back to 3D and brightness. I’m hoping this will change, but the single 3D mode that exists isn’t near as bright on the screen as the brightest 2D mode, and that’s before you put on the glasses. This may well change.

Has anyone played around with BC in regards to 3D that Art talks about (am curious what was used in the W7000/Sony HW30/JVC RS45 shootout when measuring 3D lumens w/o glasses on the W7000):

When in 3D with BC On, the projector seems to be in a Warm or Normal Color Temp modes – basically, based on our calibrated best. When I went to the Color Temp settings, though and tried to change to other Color Temps, I could change it from Normal to Warm, Cool and Native, but while the words changed, the picture did not. That’s right, essentially, in 3D on this projector, the Color Temp looks good, but we can’t get to the one really bright mode – Native.

But:

Turn Brilliant Color to OFF, and strangely, now 3D drops into the Native Color Temp mode, and brightness goes up.

Now that I’m aware of these idiosyncrasies, I’ll take another look, against the Epson to see which one rules in terms of brightness. It’s quite possible I was in their “3D best”, rather than 3D brightest. I don’t think so, but, I’ll get back to you. Real soon!

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So at the top of the W7000/HW30/RS45 shootout topic where W7000 lumens are stated from the shootout is this with BC on or off? What color temp was the projector in when taking the 3D lumens reading? It would be nice to get more lumens than 894 in a 3D mode considering this projector has 2000 lumen rating and so many lumens are lost when putting the glasses on.

We don't know. Rather than opening one up, we requested an answer frrom BenQ. since they were shippped to us in very late December, I do expect that they have new software since in BenQ's posting they reference the new software as January software.

I do not believe the BenQ lock ups. I thought it did when changing 3D format setttings but if you wait about 3 minutes it finally figures things out and switches. I like this projector and have been using it. I can certainly live with it and enjoy it until the software is updated.

When measuring it in 3D, Zombie and I had BC on. If you shut BC off in 3D, the colors dull considerably and it is not at all right. I leave BC on for 3D butoff ffor 2D and calibrated 2D with it off.

Just got a w7000 on boxing day for a very good price to replace my old Optoma hd65. I find the image clearer and brighter on my 150" 1.1 gain screen than the hd65. I did notice while watching wide screen 2:35 movies that on the top and bottom of the screen there is a 1 inch area that goes all the way across the screen and looks like a level bubble moving around during bright action scenes. Is this normal for a 1080p dlp projector?

Can you post a pic?

When viewing broadcasts in 1:1 pixel mapping, sometimes you'll see interference that the broadcast channel didn't crop out. I'm not sure why you'd be seeing that on a movie though.

I do not believe the BenQ lock ups. I thought it did when changing 3D format setttings but if youy wait about 3 minutes it finally figures things out and switches

I didn't see this particular issue listed in Art's blog of things he asked BenQ about re: upcoming firmware which surprised me because many people have complained about it. This is one of the big issues that is holding me up from getting the W7000 until this issue is fixed.

Also, it still doesn't make sense to me 894 lumens is the max lumens this projector can put out with a reasonable quality picture in 3D considering how many lumens are lost once you put the glasses on plus this being a 2000 lumen projector. Has anyone asked BenQ about this?

How bad are the black levels? And does the projector loss focus over a 2 hour time span?

A lot of manual lens projectors I used in the past all lose a little focus over warm up, or a movie.

I won't sugar coat it, I think the blacks are sub-par and remind me a lot of the Epson 3010 without the iris being engaged and that is a $1500 projector so substantially cheaper. This issue has been discussed several times over and Mark said if you put a filter over the lense it will improve the blacks to a much more acceptable level.

Mark, would you mind telling me your thoughts on the BenQ vs something like the Samsung SP-A900B. Even if it has to be through pm.

Would you consider them even close in image quality?

I loved the Samsung when I had it, just no where near bright enough for me.

Once the BenQ is calibrated is it like a much brighter Samsung?

Please be 100% honest.

Do the black levels compare at all?

How about overall image fidelity?

I can not PM. Only email. I watched the Benq for many hours and switched late last night to my Samsung SP-A9000B. The Samsung was sharper but I really was watching a game and didn't try to compare anything else. I'll do it. Obviously the Samsung uses the DC4 chip and would have an ANSI contrast about 25% higher and the Samsung's lens is a lot lot better, bigger, sharper, faster. But I will do some A/B comparisons when I have time. But you can buy 4 BenQ for the MSRP of the Samsung when it first came out.

I won't sugar coat it, I think the blacks are sub-par and remind me a lot of the Epson 3010 without the iris being engaged and that is a $1500 projector so substantially cheaper. This issue has been discussed several times over and Mark said if you put a filter over the lense it will improve the blacks to a much more acceptable level.

I did not notice my unit losing focus or enough that it bothered me.

This black level thing alone killed the purchase for me. There has to be something wrong with the first shipped units. I hope so and is why I am waiting on Amazon to get the 9500 in again to give it a test ride, given not everyone has the SBS and HDMI blurring issue. Sheesh. Can't even spend money these days.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AV Science Sales 4
I do not believe the BenQ lock ups. I thought it did when changing 3D format setttings but if youy wait about 3 minutes it finally figures things out and switches
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I didn't see this particular issue listed in Art's blog of things he asked BenQ about re: upcoming firmware which surprised me because many people have complained about it. This is one of the big issues that is holding me up from getting the W7000 until this issue is fixed.

Also, it still doesn't make sense to me 894 lumens is the max lumens this projector can put out with a reasonable quality picture in 3D considering how many lumens are lost once you put the glasses on plus this being a 2000 lumen projector. Has anyone asked BenQ about this?

One last question, anyone seen both the Sharp XV-Z17000 and BenQ W7000? I saw the XV-Z17000 at CES where they had a 3D demo of Despicable Me and thought it was beautiful (ofcourse animation often looks good), am curious how someone who has seen both projectors would compare them.

I just turned on the FI and put it in low and now the problem is gone. Very strange

I also had a problem with ceiling mounting my benq w7000. I could not get it to focus on the bottom right side of my 150" screen. I used my lens shift to line up the screen and I had to pull it down to make the picture fit considering I have a 8' ceiling. What ever I tried it would not focus compared to the centre and the other 3 corners. So I got rid of the ceiling mount and made a DIY hanging table mount to hold it upright. After that, it focused perfectly in all four corners. I thing that I may have a detective lens. Here is a picture of the DIY mount. Its not pretty but it works. I will paint it black.

Art's review of the W7000 is up. Well at least the preliminary one and he seems very impressed with it. He said pretty much what I wanted to hear about it except the black level part. I was not expecting it to be the light cannon he says it is. Hmmmm....how to know if you are getting the latest FW version or will BenQ pay shipping both ways if you get the first run? Those are the questions.

I won't sugar coat it, I think the blacks are sub-par and remind me a lot of the Epson 3010 without the iris being engaged and that is a $1500 projector so substantially cheaper. This issue has been discussed several times over and Mark said if you put a filter over the lense it will improve the blacks to a much more acceptable level.

I did not notice my unit losing focus or enough that it bothered me.

I have a W6000 and we were wondering in the forum what filter you used and how you attached it to the lens considering the lens position with these two projectors. Thanks.

We are guaranteeing a no expense SW upgrade to any of our customers getting one from our first batch. As far as I know, the SW is version 1.0 and that is the version on the one Zombie and I reviewed from that batch. Exactly when the next SW version is coming, I don't know but common perception is sometime this month.

Anyhow, I am very much enjoying the one I have with version 1.0 software. I think it interesting that my initial observations have been validated by Art. This ia one very good projector for the money.

My guess is that the only way software could improve the blacks holding all parts constant, would be iris settings and algs related. Of course one could dim the lamp more but I think having more than 2 lamp modes would require more lamp hardware.

And now Dr. Haflich (remember I do have a Doctor of Law degree to go along with my engineering degree) will cure any ND filter phobias that you may have.

A neutral density filter cuts down all light coming out of your projector uniformly. These filters come in various intensities (intensity here meaning how much light they block). Traditionally in the projector world we use a ND2 filter which cuts the light in half. Since black in our projector world is not black but has some light in it, cutting that black light in half makes the blacks blacker. Now if you were paying attention, it will also cut the white level in half as well. But, thank you Art, the BenQ is a light cannon. So if you have an appropriate screen size, gain, and throw you may have, like I do, more than enough light in 2D to cut the whites in half and improve the blacks by 50%. I am shooting a Studeotec 130 (1.3 gain) 1.78 aspect 110" D at close to short throw. Plenty bright in 2D. Now for 3D I simply remove the ND filter. My wife and I were watcing a 3D movie and I mentioned it was too dark and she said it was fine. I then remembered I had the filter in place. I removed it and to me it was now plenty bright again. My wife said it was fine before.

OK. There are many incarnations of ND filters. You can get screw in round ND filters (but the Benq doesn't have a threaded lens hood). So I use a square plate glass ND2 filter. I purchased through special order a Schneider. The biggest size is 4" by 4". I got a 3 by 3 because it would have taken months for a 4 x 4. It was expensive though, somethimg like $165 but I wanted the best I could get.

I think a cheap one would work just as well but I am, as my departed mother used to continually remind me, a professional.

Now I simply place the filter in front of the lens at an angle like a projection booth piece of glass. Remember the filter only has to cover the chip image shooting through the lens. Look at your lens from the side when you have an image on your screen and you will see that much of the lens glass is not used, only a small portion, the closer the throw, smaller throw ratio number, the more glass is used. When you place the glass filter in front, just make sure it is positioned so that it covers the chip image, you will now see that on the filter surface.

Given the size of the lens hood on the Benq and the size of my filter and that the BenQ lens hood has pretty groves in it for cosmetics, I just use those pretty groves and put the bottom edge of the filter in a grove and lean it back against the lens. Perfect.

Now I have an arm I rigged to my ceiling mounts which I can swing in front of the lens for a ceiling mount projector. Just ordered an extra universal arm and attach the filter to that with a gooseneck and a plastic alligator clip. For shelf mounts, I also have an extra hands gizmo that hobbyists use to hold a small part they are working on. Electronic techs use such things also. Sort of a weighted base with some alligator clips on swivels. Perfect for holding a filter in front of a lens.

Hopes this helps. The doctor is now out. Lucy has promised to hold the football and I plan to practice my field goal technique.

i don´t kknow about the temperature limit of ND filters.
As an alternate you can also use polarisation filters, with 30% to 50% transmission. They are avaiable in many sizes, are also true color and can work with the temperature behind the lens.
If the filters are placed about 15 degrees angle, there are no reflections back to into the light engine.

Several years ago, Mark Peterson and I (mostly Mark, me consulting long didtance, did some MTF studies and I sent Mark my ND2 filter for testing. We found that angling the filter did cut back some reflections and minimized a small reduction in ANSI contrast but did cost us a little more decrease in MTF than placing the filter straight on. To my eyes any decrease in measured MTF was not visble so I elected to angle the filter in order to maximize ANSI. We are talking small changes here.

To me there is little heat getting to the hardened plate glass filter and certainly there are no heat issues with respect to the projector light defrading the filter. It never gets even warm.

With a 146" screen at minimum throw in a complete light controlled room with black walls/ceiling would I be better off with a filter or grey screen for better blacks. I'm thinking filter in order to remove when watching 3d. I am getting a new screen as I have a DIY SILVER screen.